The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-06-16

such sale, and imposing hne from go
to 800 on all violators of the law. Upto
1875, when this law was repealed, it was
about as dead as the law against profanity
now is. Everybody who wished to sell
LIQUOR provided himself with United
States license, and sold all he could for
twenty-four hours day and seven days In
week. Only once in great while was
man arrested for selling liquor.
In 1875 the legislature passed law i'm
posing tax on liquor sellers:
Travelling statesmen (drummers), per year,. $500
Retail see a aSS
Malt, brewed and fermented liquors:
Travelling statesmen, per year. .............. 500
Retail sellers , do
Sellers at wholesale. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. lO0
Persons who paid a tax on spirituous
liquor were not required to pay an addi-
tional tax for selling malt brewed, and
fermented liquors. The drummer paid
his tax to the state treasurer, and obtained
receipt, which, on demand, he had to
show to any police officer.
Thinking there would be some doubt as
to the constitutionality of this act, the
legislature provided for submitting to the
people repeal of the constitutional pro-
vision which prohibited licensing the sale
of intoxicating liquors; and, in November,
1876, by the popular vote that section was
repealed. The law of 1875 also provided
that the whisky seller should give bond
in the sum of not less than $1,000 that he
would not sell to minor, drunken per
son, a person who was in the habit of get
ting drunk, or to any person to whom he
had been forbidden to sell. The bond re-
ouired payment of actual and exemplary
damages arising from such sale; also, OF
actual and exemplary damages arising
from any act which person to whom he
sold liquor did while under the influence
of the liquor.
In 1877, after the change in the constl-
tuition, the law was re-enacted, and pro-
vision was made requiring the whisky
seller to display in his place of business
} receipts for his special tax. The law pro-
vided that the tax collected should be
} placed to the credit of the township, vii
iage or city in which the saloon was
situated,
, The result of this law was the wedding
out of 1874 saloons in one year. When
the law went into effect, the United States
internal revenue statistics showed there
!. were 6,444 saloonists in the state. AT the
t close of 1875 there were but 4,6OO; ano
y there was an addition to the revenue Of
e the various villages and cities OF $780,
d 7O5.52 for that one year, 1873.
: The legislature of 1979-the Michigan
a legislature meets biennially-thinkine
i that if 4,203 saloons could pay tax o.
: $3.50 EACH fewer saloons could pay big
a ger tax. changed the law SO that The fol
a lowing amounts were required;
Spirituous liquors;
Retail, ''''''sss9!
wholesale. ...........'''' ~
Malt, brewed and fermented liquors:
. Retail ....................... .
wholesale. .........' ..'.'..'.''''.'''''''' l"
The LIQUOR dealer could also sell tn
malt, brewed and fermented liquors with
u out additional tax.
g This legislature also made other add
le tions to the law. They required the bond
I'd to be not less than $4,000. The bonds
y man must be freeholder, a resident o
the village or city, and must, under oath
'e Justify for the amount of his bond, owe
IT all other liabilities and similar bonds
il The saloon must be closed on Sundays
'r election days and legal holidays. Th
saloonist must not allow pool, billiar
ct or card table in the same room as his bal
IS of a printers cardboard and the ia
rs money was paid over by the county treas
y urer to the village or city treasurer. AS
10 result, there we're but 3,7O0 saloons
" Michigan IN 1880.
ID The saloon keepers then, in their ow
* defense, banded together to make such RI
IS sistance to the law as they could. Th
first result was thin board partitio
lie across every saloon, separating the ba
I'd from the billiard table. The executiy
%, committee of the Saloon Keepers associt
n ton sent copy of the law and chez
al for $500 to the Hon. Matt Carpenter, {
le Wisconsin, and asked his opinion of til
~ law. His answer was as heartrending as
III was lacOnic:
Dr. The law is good and can't be broken.
Up MATT 81. CARPENTER.
10 When the legislature met in 1881, thel
were petitions from thousands of either
asking the legislature to submit to Il
people an amendment to the constitute
~ which would destroy the property right
~ liquors. In response to these petition
~ Senator George A. Farr, of Grand Have
10 presented the following amendment to Il
state constitution, to stand as section
49, of article 4:
~ OSection 49-The manufacture, gift
% sale of spirituous, malt or vinous liquo
in this state, except for mechanical, med
" cinal and sacramental purposes, und
- state supervision, by persons Thereto
W. censed by the state, is prohibited; and l
property right in such spirituous, malt,
-, vinous liquors, except the right of man
0y' facture and sale for mechanical, medic
So nal, and sacramental purposes, under sta
W. supervision, by persons thereto license
u shall exist.
- This amendment was passed by DO
u houses, but Governor Jerome vetoed 1T.
III When the governor vetoed the resol
l.. ton submitting the amendment, Senat
W Farr introduced what was known
on "Farr's Ironclad Liquor law" which WI
NJ ~ passed. 1t provided that the tax shou
r be as follows:
III Spirituous liqours-
nd H Hesa
Malt brewers and fermented liquors. ..........
tor If a person failed to pay the tax,
IA was fined from $50 to 800, and go
INT Jail for from ten to ninety days. Pc
ed billiards, cards and dice could not
PLAYED in the same or adjoining rooms
ng the bar. License could not be given
m selling liquor in building in which was
Ill ~